Slow Roast Pork

There’s nothing to this dish. Really. You need a piece of shoulder pork and an oven that can reach temperatures of hot and warm.

I have said it previously, but as a child I wouldn’t eat pork – especially roast pork. I can only attribute this to one of my childhood primary care givers not being an enthusiastic cook who had somewhat of a penchant for the old pork chop. It would arrive on my plate tough and arid, often with a side of floury boiled potatoes, something green, and a spoonful or heated tinned tomatoes. Fuel. I couldn’t abide the bland chewy texture and for nearly 15 years avoided pork like the plague.

I’m am now pleased to say I live a happy pork-filled life of all things bacon, ham and hock. This easy as sin roast recipe is a regular feature of our weekends and yields plenty of juicy meat for leftovers. Happy roasting!

Meanwhile, score the pig skin with 1cm apart slashes. Don’t go all the way down to the flesh, but just cut about halfway down into the fat. You’ll need a super sharp knife to do this, but if you aren’t comfortable then just ask your butcher to do it. Pat the meat dry with some kitchen towel and salt it liberally all over, rubbing extra salt into the skin and between the score marks – this will make it nice crispy crackling.

The pork goes into the hot oven for 30 minutes. After which, turn the oven down to 150 degrees C and cook the pork for 3 hours. If your piece of pork is above 1.5kg it will probably need an additional hour. Do check on it periodically, though, as you don’t want the crackling to burn. You can always remove the crackling for the final hour of cooking and put a lid on the roasting dish.